FOR their twenty-first production, the exciting company Rocket Theatre will be putting on Howie The Rookie from Wednesday, August 28 at Manchester's Library Theatre.

Written by Dublin-born Mark O'Rowe, it's the first time it's been seen in this region after a run at The Bush in London in 1999 and touring to Dublin, Edinburgh, Germany, Japan, Finland, New York and San Francisco.

It's picked up various awards along the way, including the Irish Times New Play Award 2000, and it's described as "a scabrous poetic comedy told by unemployed, foul-mouthed, drunken misogynists."

Yikes! That sounds like fun! So what prompted Rocket founder Martin Harris to opt for this particular opus?

"I actually first came across it about two years ago and the first time I read this one I knew immediately that I wanted to do it," he recalls. "Occasionally, it's difficult to get the rights for a show and The Bush held onto this one for two years because they obviously recognised its potential as a touring show. Luckily for me, they toured it in various places around the world but not in the UK.

"So I kept pestering them whenever I could and, when they finally had had enough of it, I grabbed it as soon as I could. Actually I never saw their version of it, and I don't like seeing shows I'm considering doing because, however hard you try, even unconsciously, you pick up the way it's done and you want to do it fresh - even if, as it turns out, you do it the same way!"

Howie The Rookie is the story of psychotic tough The Howie Lee (played for Rocket by Padraic McIntyre, who starred in their version of Martin McDonagh's A Skull In Connemara) and his arch-enemy The Rookie Lee (to be played by Manchester Evening News Theatre Award-winner Graeme Hawley).

Theirs is a tale of revenge, feuding, dead Siamese Fighting Fish, a terrifying gangster called The Ladyboy and characters known as Avalanche, Flann Dingle, Ginger Boy and Puddin' Boy, who all crop up on a white-knuckle ride through the dirty dives of Dublin that the tourists don't see.

"It's just really good fun, I suppose," offers Martin when asked what drew him so strongly to the play. "It's by no means Hamlet, it's reasonably light, there's some pathos and death in there, but the story cracks along at a good old pace. It's certainly not your typical "diddley diddley" Irish play. This kind of blows all that away, it's quite hard and gritty and it's certainly not cosy. There's nothing political in any way."

Rocket, established in 1995, have certainly been a fantastically prolific company, especially in their early years. Especially notable among their previous productions have been their sparse version of Patrick Marber's Dealer's Choice, Jim Burke's Cornered (a winner of the Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best New Play in 2000), an open-air version of A Skull In Connemara, and Jim Cartwright's I Licked A Slag's Deodorant (another Manchester Evening News Theatre Award-winner for Best Fringe Play in 1998).

im Burke is currently working on a new play for them called Shamer for next year and, as their national reputation grows, there's also talk about reviving one of Martin's own favourite productions of theirs, I Licked A Slag's Deodorant. So does Martin, who came up from London to found the company in Manchester because he thought audiences here would be more receptive, have an idea about what constitutes a "typical" Rocket production?

"I'm lucky in a way because it's my company and so I suppose it's simply something that reflects my taste," he chuckles. "Most of the things that I choose have a mixture of sadness and joy in them. I don't like doing anything that has no comedy at all in it because I believe that virtually everything needs to have some comedy in it. I especially love it when I can make the audience feel almost guilty for laughing!"

Howie The Rookie from Rocket Theatre is at The Library Theatre from Wednesday until Saturday, August 31, before going out on tour. Dates include the Library Theatre, Darwen (September 27); The Performance Centre, Ridge Danyers College, Marple (October 9); and Pauper's Pit, Buxton (October 10-12). There's also a workshop event at the Library Theatre on August 31. You can get more details from 0161-226 8788.